Plainfield man indicted on child porn charges

NEWARK — A Union County man was indicted on Wednesday by a federal grand jury for possessing and distributing child porn, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Carl Tullis Sr., 48, of Plainfield, was previously arrested in June 2011. Tullis was indicted on two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court, Tullis’ home was searched on June 2, 2011, and digital evidence containing more than 1,600 images and 1,400 videos depicting child sex abuse were found.

The subject matter included material that involved prepubescent minors and material that portrays sadistic or masochistic conduct. The evidence against Tullis included files previously by law enforcement agents from Tullis via a publicly available peer-to-peer network.

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Tullis faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years and a $250,000 fine on the distribution counts. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession count.

U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman credited special agents of the FBI Newark Division’s Child Exploitation Task Force, with the investigation leading to Wednesday’s indictment.